Tsering Phuntsok, born in 1964 in Gyantse, was a monk at Palkhor Choede Monastery. He was arrested by the Chinese authorities on 15 July 1990 amid the broader suppression of Tibetan religious and political activities during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Following his detention, Tsering Phuntsok was sentenced to thirteen years of imprisonment and was incarcerated in Drapchi Prison, one of Tibet’s most notorious prisons for political detainees. His imprisonment reflected the severe measures imposed on Tibetan monks and religious practitioners accused of opposing Chinese rule or engaging in activities perceived as politically sensitive.